The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-08-13
By H. Rider Haggard.
Author Of "She," king Solo
Mons Mines" "Jcss," "Thc
Witch's Head,' Etc.
CHAPTER ".
ALpnoYsE AND HIS ANNETTE.

taking advantage Of this favorable opportu-
nifty TO clean thoroughly all the rifles. This
was tho only work that ho ever did or was
asked to do, for as a Zulu chief II was Der iath
his dignity TO work with his hands; but such
ms il was he did IL very we'll II was curl
GUS sight TO see the great Zulu sitting there
upon the floor, his battleax resting against
the wall behind him, while his long, arlsto-
cratic looking hands were busily employed,
delcately, and with the utmost care, cleaning
the mechanism Of the breech leaders. He had
n name for each gun One-a double four
bore belonging to Sir Heniy-was the Thun-
derer; another, my 800 Express, which had
peculiarly sharp report, was 1.-THE little ono
who spoke like whips" the Winchester re-
pcaters "the women, who talked so fast that
you could not tell one word from another
the six Martins were "the common people;"
and so on with them all. 1t was very curious
to hear him addressing each gun MS he cleaned
il, as though it were an individual, and in
vein of the quaintest humor. He did tho
same with his battleaX, which ho seemed to
look upon rs an intimate friend, and to which
he would ut times talk by the hour, going
over all his old adventures with it-and
dreadful enough some Of them were. by
piece of grim humor he had named this AK
"Inkosi-kaas,n which is the Zulu word for
chieftainess. For a long while | could not
make out why no gave it such name, and at
last asked him, when he informed me that the
AK was evidently feminine, because OF her
womanly habit of prying very deep into
things, and that she was clearly a chieftainess
because all men fell down before her, struck
dumb at the sight of her beauty and power
In the same way he would consult "lnkosi-
iaas" if in any dilemma; and when l asked
him why lie did so, he informed me it was
because she must needs be wise, having
Cooked into so many peoples brains"
took up the AK and closely examined this
formidable weapon. 1t was, as | have said,
of the nature of poleax. The haft, made
out of an enormous rhinoceros horn, was
three feet three inches long, about an inch
and a quarter thick, and with n knob at the
end as large MS Maltese orange, left there to
prevent the hand from slipping. This horn
haft, though so massive, was as flexible as
cane, aud practically unbreakabe; but, to
make assurance double sure, it was whipped
round ut intervals of a few inches with copper
wire-all the parts where the hand grippe
being thus treated. Just above where the
haft entered tho head were scored n number
of little hicks, each nick representing n man
killed in battle with the weapon. The AK it
self was made of the most beautiful steel, and
apparently of European manufacture, though
Umslopogaas did rot know where it came
from, having taken it from the hand Of n
chief he had killed in battle many years be-
fore. II was not very heavy, the head weigh
ing two and a half pounds, as nearly as
could judge, The cutting part was slightly
concave in shape-not convex, as is generally
the case with savage battleaxes-and sharp
as a razor, measuring five and three-quarter
inches across the widest part From the back
OF the AK sprang a stout spike four inches
long, for the last two of which 1t was hollow,
and shaped like n leather punch, with an
opening for anything forced into the hollow
at the punch end to be pushed out above-in
| fact, in this respect it exactly resembled n
butchers poleax. 1t was with this punch
end, as we afterward discovered, that UNI
slopogaas usually struck when fighting, driv-
ing neat round hole in his adversary's skull,
and only using the broad, cutting edge for n
circular sweep, or sometimes in melee. L
think hc considered the punch neater and
more sportsmanlike tool, and it was for his
habit of pecking at his enemy with it that he
got his name of "Woodpecker." Certainly in
his hands it was a terribly efficient one.
Such was Umslopogaas ak, lnkosi-kaas,
the most remarkable and fatal hand 10 hand
weapon that ! ever saw, and one that he
cherished as much as his own life. 1t
scarcely ever left his hand except when he
was eating, and then he always sat with it
under his leg.
Just as returned his AK 10 Umslopogaas
Miss Flossie came up and took me off to see
her collection of flowers, African liliums and
blooming shrubs, some of which are very
beautiful, many of the varieties being quite
unknown TO me, and also, | believe, TO
botanical science. l asked her If she had
over seen or heard of the Goya lily, which
central African explorers have told me they
have occasionally met with, and whose Won
derful loneliness has filled them with astonish-
ment This lily, which tho natives say
blooms only once in ten years, flourishes in
tho most arid soil.
To my great delight Miss Flossio told me
that she knew the flower well, and had tried
to grow it in her garden, but without sue
cess, adding, however, that as it should be in
bloom at this time of year, she thought that
she could procure mo specimen.
After that fell to asking her If she was
not lonely up hero among all these savage
people, and without any companions OF her
own age.
"LonelylD she said. "Oh, indeed mol am
as happy as the day is long, and besides have
my own companions"
aAnd arc you never afraid among all these
wild menp
"Afraidl Oh, mol they never interfere
with me. / think they believe that ! am
'Ngai" of the Divinity, "5ecause am SC
white and have fair hair. And look here,
and diving her little hand into the bodice Of
her dress she produced double barreled,
nickel plated Derringer. II always carry
that loaded. and IL ANYBODY tried to touch